If you’re looking for a reason to try Pretty Things this summer, we hope a well-stated 5.5% pale lager might be a good bet. This beer bears our usual stamp of authenticity-at-the-expense-of-convenience, so here is a decoction lager brewed with German malt and hops, and fermented at cool temperatures with German lager yeast for over 6 weeks.

This time we were looking to make the un-lawnmower beer (with an emphasis on the “UN”). Just how do we go about doing that? Well, we start with some of the world’s greatest pilsner malt from Weyermann in Bamberg, Germany. There’s no rice and corn in our darling either – just the best barley malted for this purpose in the world. What else? We use a decoction brewing method: this comes from old German brewhouses, where temperature control was not possible, so a portion of the mash is removed, brought to boiling temperature and then re-mixed with the rest of the mash. This is a whole lot of work, but we think it’s worth it because it gives a whole lot of authentic Germanic flavour! All of the hops used in American Darling come from the Hallertau hop region of Germany. Finally, fermentation uses a blend of two of Europe’s great lager yeasts, with low temperature fermentation and lagering, over six weeks.

Then fire up the grill, not just once – how about every day?! Get out the horse shoes, kick up your feet and forget that oily red jalopy out back even has a purpose. Stop mowing, start having fun times! Cheers to summer!

Pours a slightly hazy straw color with a one-finger white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of crisp pilsner malts with good amounts of leafy and light citrus hops.

Tastes similar to how it smells, though not quite as crisp. Smooth pilsner malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by mildly leafy and earthy hop flavors. Midway through the sip the hop flavors brighten up a bit with the addition of light citrus. The light citrus hops fade out into a crisp and moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with solid carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I finished my glass quickly and could easily have a few more.

Overall I was very surprised by the 7% ABV as it drinks much easier than that. Well worth a shot.

Pours clear and golden with very little head. Little smell at all. The taste is awesome. All the crispness and drinkability of a light lager with some extra hop taste and a lot of punch. The hop taste sticks in the mouth a little longer than I'd like given the style, but it's one of th emore drinkable beers I've ever had.

Many thanks to Nuggethops for the chance to taste this. A very generous extra included in our recent trade. Poured into my dfh snifter, pours a gorgeous bright yellow color, visible bubbles from the bottom. awesome fluffy cloudlike white head fills the glass and then recedes, nice retention. Smell- fresh cut grass, lemon peel, cracked pepper. Why does this remind me of a Saison? Taste- just a really crisp, smooth, yet hoppy lager. wonderful. Mouthfeel- tight carbonation makes for a really nice dry finish. Drinkability. 6.5% wow- could have fooled me. This is just a solid, well made brew.

Appearance - Light yellow and clear. A nice white head. Could be a glass of Bud Light...could be glass of Welch's White Grape Juice...could be craft beer?

Smell - Weak smell of some European hops and that's about it. Very one dimensional aroma.

Taste - Absolutely phenomenal for the style. A nice crisp taste that balances the European hop presence with bready malts. A great dry finish. The flavors bounce off of each other quick well.

Mouthfeel - Very light, dry and crisp.

Drinkability - Excellent. The flavors that linger on the tongue after each sip beckon for the next drink. Can not believe this beer is 7%. Wish it came in a sixer, but the $5 bomber is hardly a bank breaker.

Malt is quite flavorful, reminding me something of a Vienna Lager with mild but salient melanoidins. There is also a surprising fresh noble-hop-like bitterness on the palate to offset the sweetness derived from (I assume) adjuncts. Grassy, toasty finish.

Light bodied, but with a sense of heft I can't quite figure out (perhaps from the ABV - though that is unobtrusive). Moderate carbonation.

Maybe not quite as drinkable as something like Session Lager, but this may have more going on in the flavor profile. Considering how many crap versions of this style exist, it must take true craft to get it right - and Pretty Things certainly did.

Had a few of these up in the 1000 Islands in Ontario. Pours a golden color with a decent head. Smell is very pleasing with a fruity, malty twang. The flavor is excellent. I normally do not like lagers, but this has expectional taste. Perfect for a humid evening. Drinkability is excellent, but beware abv is 7% so you could be out of control quickly (Might be a good thing). Pretty Things is producing some great beer. Highly recommended!

Shared a fresh bomber with myself. I was expecting a clean, balanced well-made lager, but this was way beyond that. Blew my mind a little. The decoction mash creates a big caramel malt flavor over milder toasty, bready malt. Meanwhile, big spicy hops roll through for a dry, bitter finish. Much hoppier than most pilsners. Clearly no lawnmower beer. Damn, what a lager.

Pours a slightly hazed straw gold, topped with a finger of bright-white head. This retains with a thin layer of froth that skims the surface that leaves back a slowly receding cascade of foamy lace. The aroma gives off a deep twang in the nose of citrus, bread, and earth. The hops really add some extra edge here to the nose.

Hops have even more strength in the taste, with a leafy and citric bitterness that is sharp across the tongue. Some sweet fruit flavors and slightly stiff feeling toasted grains mostly balance things out on the edges of the profile. Dry citrus peel sticks in the mouth on the finish. Maybe a bit too much so. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a sharp feel that blows up in the mouth. This is coming off a bit over carbonated actually but does seem to softer up some the longer it sits in the mouth.

No bad. The only things holding this back were the slightly harsh finish and the overly prickly feel, which does get a bit distracting at times. Overall though, I found this to be mostly flavorful and enjoyable. You just have to let that carbonation settle down a bit in the mouth.